Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with housing and apartment

Resettling in New Delhi

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:20:28 -0800

American woman moving to New Delhi. Tips and advice on housing requested! I'm a female grad student moving to New Delhi in mid-September for nine-ish months to do research. On the off-chance that the communal wisdom of Metafilter can help me, I'm asking for advice on how to find an apartment and which neighborhoods you recommend.

Details: My work is divided between south Delhi (GK1, South Ex, etc) and Gurgaon. Since transport within Gurgaon is relatively difficult for those who don't have a car and driver constantly on call (a luxury that my research stipend, while generous, doesn't quite encompass), I think an apartment in south Delhi would suit me better. (Plus, the university I'm affiliated with is actually north of Connaught Place!) That way, I can hire a car only on those days when I need to be in Gurgaon.

A friend suggested neighborhoods in south Delhi that I already know, and which put me in close-ish proximity to the Gurgaon route (Hauz Khaz, Green Park, Safdarjung Enclave). I posted on an expat listserv, but I'm not having much luck finding places in those areas. I guess I could go with a realtor, but man, they are expensive, and the rent they're suggesting to me is much higher than what folks in Delhi think I should be paying (25-30,000 rupees at the lowest for a flatshare).

Does anyone here have any advice on how to find flatshares or apartments in south Delhi?

Secondly -- I used to know Delhi pretty well, but I haven't been back since 2005, so any other tips are welcome, too. I'm thinking particularly of the stuff I wasn't interested in before. I like to cook for myself these days, so if you know of a good supermarket (I hear they're now increasingly ubiquitous!) and a good gym where a single gal could work out in comfort without bankrupting herself, that would be great too. (Gold's, I hear, is very chic and well-maintained, but also abominably pricey.)

Throwaway email for good measure: newdelhibound@gmail.com

Can my landlord really kick me out?

krunk — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:19:28 -0800

My landlords want to kick me out and move into my apartment. They gave me the 60 days notice, but I have some questions about the validity of their notice. I was checking out the Residential Tenancies Act, and it seems that there is a clause that says they can't move in unless they have previously lived there (72 b), which they haven't.

Also, they said they would rather take over the apartment of the guys who live upstairs, but can't because they have a lease until March 2010. Since we are on month-to-month, they said they could take over our place instead.

Are either of these things true? Could they in fact take the other apartment instead?

Where should a young, social guy live in the Denver area?

pennstatephil — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:37:35 -0800

I'm a 22 year old engineer who recently visited the Denver area, loved it, and decided after living in upstate NY my whole life (minus college) to try city living. Where should I look? I went to Penn State so I am used to being around a lot of young people and really enjoyed it, so I'd prefer an area where there are more people my age (recent college graduates/current grad students). It doesn't have to be downtown Denver, but I don't want it to be a pain to get into the city if I do end up in a nearby suburb (like Englewood), as I expect many activities that interest me (concerts, sports, etc) will be in the city.

I am not looking to buy any real estate, I figured I'd start with renting a nice apartment for a year (know any good properties?) and if I do enjoy it as much as I hope I will, maybe look into more permanent options.

I'll be working in Littleton (a little off 470), but have heard great things about the light rail, and would be happy to save on gas (maybe just using my car on the weekend).

O great Denver meFi-ers, I throw myself on the mercy of the hive mind!

Affordable, boring housing in DC...yawn

ginagina — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:32:00 -0800

Where do the home-bodies call home in Washington DC? I've gone through all the DC housing threads, but they all talk about "trendy" "hip" places with good bar scenes.

My darling and I don't drink, like to stay home and cook, etc. While we wouldn't mind being in an area that catered to the hip folk, we feel like there must be a "boring" yet affordable area of DC.

We're looking for studio in the $1000 range. Would like there to be easy parking for one car.

Thanks!

First/last month's rent scam?

mudpuppie — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:36:40 -0800

Yet another roommate/deposit recovery question.... The scene:
San Francisco. Rent-controlled apartment.

The characters:
Main tenant -- we'll call her Mary -- who has lived in the apartment for 14 years
Roommate 1, who has lived in apartment for 18 months (and who happens to be my girlfriend); we'll call her GF
Roommate 2, who has lived in apartment for about a year; we'll call her #2

The story:
Mary has lived at this address for 14 years and is, for all intents and purposes, the tenant of record. She has all the interactions with the landlord, pays the bills, etc. The GF and #2 rent rooms from her, not from the landlord. The GF and #2 are not on the lease. In fact, they have no lease.

When she first moved in years ago, Mary presumably paid the full deposit and first/last month's rent based on the 1994 rent.

When roommates come in and out, they pay a deposit and first/last month to Mary. What Mary does with the money, we don't know. Obviously, she should bank the deposit for when the roommates leave, but it's unclear whether she does.

Last month, #2 announced that she was moving in with her boyfriend. She's gone. Mary has not yet rented that room.

A couple weeks ago, the GF was offered an apartment in another city that considerably shortens her commute. She accepted it and told Mary that she would be moving out next month.

Mary is pissed that she now has to find two new tenants.

In the 18 months that the GF has lived there, rent has gone up. Mary is now telling the GF that she must pay the difference between the actual last month's rent, and the "last month's rent" she paid when she moved in. Her reasoning is that she's suddenly without roommates and will incur extra expenses. (My response to that, which is pretty much irrelevant, is "tough shit, Mary.")

I've never heard of this before, and it sounds pretty shady to me. I've lived in places with multiple rent increases, and I've never been asked to pay the difference. Is this normal practice? Is it allowable, even? If not, any tips on how say No, and still get the deposit back?

Questions to ask before renting a house?

Joannalaine — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:40:59 -0800

Whenever I go look at a house for rent, I draw a blank on what questions to ask the landlord. I've started a list from this site. What's missing? What do you wish you'd asked or looked at more closely before signing a lease? (Specifically for a house, if you can...) Particulars: Three girls and a dog looking to rent a house with yard somewhere in the 562 or 714 area of So Cal. I expect to be there at the very least a year. We have no appliances of our own, but furniture galore.

____ is a privilege, not a right!

sixcolors — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:13:59 -0800

What are some LESS obvious things that can disqualify someone from obtaning a job, car, or an apartment? I think it's well known that if someone has a criminal record, they'll have a lot of trouble finding employment. Or, if you get a DUI, your driver's license may be suspended or even revoked. But, I'm sure there's less obvious things that can cut off your access to housing, transportation, and employment.

It almost happened to me a few years ago. My father is one of those people who do not like to put his vehicle documents in his glove department or anywhere else in his car. He fears that if someone steals his car, they may steal his identity also, or the thieves may locate his address and stalk him. When I was younger, I let him talk me into doing same thing. Well, I got into a little fender-bender, and the cop asked me for my vehicle documents. I didn't have them, and the cop told me that was a somewhat serious offense. I asked what could happen. He said, depending on my record, I could lose my driving privileges for a year and have to pay a $1000 fine. We did NOT learn about this in drivers ed!

Fortunately, nothing happened, but it was a wake up call that the possiblity of me losing my driving privileges was a lot easier than I previously thought. As I am transitioning into "adult" life, the fear of me not being able access (or losing access to) transportation, housing, and employment is increasing.

So, what are some less obvious things:

1. That could prevent me from getting a job...or get me fired?
2. That could prevent me from buying a new car, having my license revoked/suspended, or having my car repossesed?
3. That could prevent me from renting out a house or apartment?

Do I want to live in Daddy Day Care?

andoatnp — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:56:42 -0800

What sort of agreements should I make or information should I consider before moving into an apartment that would be used as a daycare during the day when my roommate and I aren't around? I have a meeting in two days to potentially sign a lease for me and a friend to move into a 3 bedroom apartment as subletters. The apartment would be rented by young parents with a 1 year old son who live in a different apartment in that apartment building. During the day (from 7:30 to 4:30) they would hire a nanny who would watch that child and 3 other one year-old-children in the apartment in the living room and using one of the bedrooms. Theoretically, this will only be happening on weekdays when me and my roommate will both be out of the apartment at school. We would be able to make use of that third bedroom at night when they aren't around as some extra space.

Has anyone ever done anything like this before? What sort of agreements should we have in writing beforehand to guarantee a smooth year for us? After having four babies in our apartment for the day, when we get home at 5 do you think it would be immediately obvious that our apartment was a day care, or might we not even realize? [Is this an insane idea that we should avoid at all costs, and instead seek housing elsewhere?]

For what it's worth, we are in Israel, but all our previous real estate transactions have been similar to how they would be in America, so any advice that would apply in America would probably be helpful for us. I'm not looking for legal advice so much, as wondering about any agreements we should reach with the parents/subleasers beforehand that we should be sure to include in the lease. This is a slightly complicated situation, so please let me know if anything is unclear and I can clarify.

Any advice or comments about this situation would be a big help before we sign the lease in a couple of days. Thanks!

how much does heating cost in nyc?

boots — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:09:51 -0800

How much does it cost to heat an apartment in Brooklyn? My roommates and I are about to put down a deposit on a 3-bedroom in Greenpoint. The only unknown is that heat isn't included, and we have no idea what that will cost for a winter. Rough estimates and anecdotal evidence appreciated. 1000 a year? 500? 3000? Thanks much.

Please help us avoid living in a box.

kiripin — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:28:30 -0800

Where to live in the Bay Area? Difficulty: one of us needs to commute to SF, the other (potentially) to Santa Clara. We also need a cat-friendly apartment. I just accepted a job in SF. Boyfriend has some promising leads in the city, but his most appealing prospect is in Santa Clara. Our current leases are up on the 31st, and we need to find a place in the middle before that.

We applied for an apartment in San Leandro, but my gut reaction was that the owner was shady, unlikely to return our deposit, and desperate for a tenant (he reduced a $1200 pet deposit, complaining about the cost of replacing the carpet, pad, and floorboards, when I told him it was way too high). Googling the complex and owner confirmed my suspicions. San Leandro doesn't appeal to us anyway.

We've been searching all summer and have checked out places in Alameda, Castro Valley, and Hayward, but those places also seem depressingly suburban. The peninsula would be ideal, but we can't afford the rent prices (yet). I'm a former Berkeley resident and would love to live there or in north Oakland, but the commute to Santa Clara would be hellish. So, Bay Area MeFites, I'm turning to you: do you have any suggestions? Are there any affordable, interesting (or at least fairly walkable, and reasonably safe neighborhoods we're overlooking? Are we being too picky? Do you have suggestions anyway, even if they don't match all our preferences?

(I've already read this thread about Oakland apartments and this one about Oakland neighborhoods, but our housing search is a bit more broad. )

This is stressing me in.

Evstar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:33:14 -0800

What is the best way for me to find an apartment in Lyon, with a kitchen, for 10 months to a year? I'm a Canadian in Toronto with a French Visa good for a year. I'm leaving at the end of August to stay in Lyon for 10 months to a year. My girlfriend and I need an apartment apartment within a reasonable distance of the University of Lyon for those ten months. She is a student, I am not.

We will arrive in Lyon on the 29th of August.

Should we hire a real-estate agent? Search online classifieds ourselves? Would we be crazy to show up in Lyon on the 29th in hopes of finding a place for September in the few days left in August? Is there a better way to go about this?

Oh, and we're on a student's budget. The two of us will be splitting rent halfway.

I would love to hear from people who live or have lived in Lyon, especially from someone with a similar travel experience.

Thanks.

How to find an August sublet in Seattle?

grouse — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 13:09:05 -0800

I'm moving to Seattle! How can I find a sublet for August? My job starts in September, but I'm going to move there in August to get settled in and started up. I want to get a sublet before I move from the UK so that I can find a more permanent lease on the ground, looking at the places myself. Also, my new employer refuses to give me a binding contract until I have proof of my PhD which I won't be able to get for another week or so. So I'd rather not commit to a year-long contract until I have the commitment for the job.

I'll be working in the university medical center. I'm interested in living in Wallingford or Fremont, so I wanted to find a sublet there for a month to get used to the area and make apartment hunting easier. But most of the sublets available right now seem to be for July, or July and August, rather than just August. I think there are more sublets available now for the U-District in August, but August sublets in Wallingford might come available later, or as people realize they can't find a renter for July.

Unfortunately I'm going to start traveling on 12 July so I ought to have this nailed down by then. Do you think there is any point in waiting a few days to see if something in my preferred areas comes available, or should I just start looking for something anywhere today?

Lease question: I don't want no uncompensated burnination!

allen8219 — Mon, 19 May 2008 06:33:32 -0800

I am moving to a new apartment in Washington DC, and in reading over the lease there are a couple things I am not so sure about... Can you please take a look at the clauses and tell me if they seem reasonable? This (12) is the clause that has me a bit worried. To me it looks as though if my upstairs neighbors start a fire, and the building is smoke damaged and uninhabitable (but not a total teardown), then I have to keep paying rent while the landlord goes about getting the place renovated. That seems highly unfair, and admittedly a bit unlikely.

Would it be unreasonable to request a change to this clause? Any suggestions of a way to reword it that would be palatable to both sides?

Thank you very much, and I know you're not my lawyer (or even a lawyer at all)!

*****************
DESTRUCTION
12. If the premises are rendered totally unfit for occupancy or fire, act of God, or rioters or public enemies, or accident, the term of this lease shall immediately cease upon the payment of rent apportioned to the day of such happening. If, however, the premises are only partially destroyed or damaged and Landlord decides to repair the same, such repairs shall be made by Landlord without unreasonable delay, and this lease shall remain in force and effect without any abatement in rent.
*****************

What are the cool areas to live in Melbourne?

Silentgoldfish — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:31:36 -0800

Need advice from people in Melbourne, or familiar with it about where to live. So as sort of a followup to this question I've gotten a job at the Royal Melbourne and start in June. Since I don't know Melbourne at all, geography wise, I don't really know what the good suburbs to be looking to live are.

The Royal Melbourne is in Parkville, which I understand is basically downtown (though I could be wrong), and my ideal place would be as close as possible so that I could either walk or catch the minimum of public transport to get there. Where I live right now is a 10 minute walk from where I work right now and in a perfect world I'd have the same set-up in Melbourne.

I'm looking for share-house accomodation (mostly cause I don't know anyone in Melbourne yet and it seem the fastest way to kickstart that!) and going by the share-house websites I've been looking at there's lots of choices. I just don't want to wind up with a 3 hour commute by looking in an interstate suburb! Also, I'd prefer to avoid slum areas.

Advise a SF renter?

aladfar — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:20:28 -0800

Advise a San Francisco renter? I've about 6 weeks left on my current lease, and just had a new roommate move in. Rather than tack him on to the remaining time, my landlord would like to scrap the previous lease and have us sign on for a year. I've a feeling my roommate would prefer that as well. I, however, don't wish to be committed that long. So, I'm thinking I'll push for a 6 month lease - the same term as my last agreement. But I suspect I'll want to move sooner than that, perhaps as early as 3 or 4 months. I've come to realize that I'd much prefer my own place, and should be able to swing it financially.

I think the best strategy would be to tack the new roomie onto the current lease and then go month to month when it expires (I believe tenants have that right here in SF). But I suspect that will generate more than a little ill will.

Any advice on how to handle the situation would be much appreciated!

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

barrakuda — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 09:58:33 -0800

In the mornings, there’s no hot water in my apartment – same thing happened lest year and the year before. Management doesn’t react. Help! Winter has officially started in Washington, DC, today, with the first snow. What else has started? The hot water shortage in my apartment building. When I went to take a shower this morning the water was at best lukewarm. Now, I am dreading the rest of the winter. The same thing happened last year and the year prior. After 7:45 there’s no hot showers, they’re at best lukewarm and at worst plain cold. This happens every (other) day and is seriously pissing me off. I have complained to the building management last year and due to the intensity of my annoyance I requested some sort of rent refund – they explained that they had problems with the boilers, this and that, blah blah blah and essentially told me they would get back to me regarding the refund. They never did, the winter ended, I let it go. This year I am not willing to let it go. It’s difficult enough, getting out of my bed each morning without having to imagine a cold shower.

My apartment building is in the District itself. It’s a large building with 150+ units. So, help me, what are my options here – notifying DCRA (what’s the process and the likely outcome)? Can I get any of my rent back for the unnecessary suffering (cold water is torture)? Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated as I’m sitting here grumpy and unshowered.

Living in the Lower Mainland

tiamat — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 10:37:04 -0800

Can you recommend online resources for apartment/condo hunting for Richmond BC (or area, including Surrey and Vancouver). Or, Can you recommend an agent in the Vancouver/Richmond area that I can hire to do this for me? Need to find a place to stay for a Jan '08 arrival, to lease/rent rather than buy (if at all possible).

Basically my problem is that I can't go to inspect something first, so I need to find a listings site with good depth for the Richmond area. Craiglist has some stuff, but are there other sites I should be using?

Any general advice for the Vancouver/Richmond housing market would be much apprecaited.

How much is your w/d worth?

hattifattener — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:17:36 -0800

How much is it worth to you to have a washer/dryer in your building? All else being equal, how much cheaper would an apartment have to be to make up for not having laundry facilities in the building? There's not a laundry in the immediate neighborhood, but you do have a car (and there are plenty of laundries in the city).

I'm asking because I find myself in the awkward situation of having sublet half of my space and, halfway through the lease, losing the w/d the sublessors are using. So, assuming I can't fix that, I'm thinking of offering to reduce their rent a bit to compensate. How much is fair?

Finding an Apartment in Delft

kepano — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:44:33 -0800

There's a good chance that I'll be moving to the Netherlands in the next few weeks. What are the best resources that could help me find a place to live (preferably a studio apartment) in Delft?

An unhappy move

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:02:14 -0800

I'm being kicked out of my apartment, but I've done nothing wrong! Can I do anything? I live in a fairly nice, large downtown apartment which is run by a building manager who answers to the building owner. I've met and deal with the manager on a monthly basis, but have never met or spoken with the owner. There are 6 upstairs units in the building and one downstairs business area for lease. I've lived in the unit for 1 year now. When I originally signed the lease, it was for 6 months with the understanding that it would go month to month after that (a big mistake, I realize now). I had been planning on leaving the city around this September, though that never panned out, so I was planning on staying in the apartment for at least another 6 months to a year. That's just not going to happen, now.

On August 1st, the building manager and I had scheduled a maintenance man to come repair my dishwasher. I told him to come in if I wasn't there--as usual--and he came and fixed the appliance, also dropping off a notice that my lease is being terminated and that I must leave in 30 days.

I immediately tried to call the building manager, as this was a total shock to me. I live 2 blocks from where I work, I no longer own a car, and I pay my rent one month in advance. I've had no problems with the unit, had everything repaired promptly and have kept it immaculate, regularly cleaning the carpets and obsessively washing/dusting/wiping down everything else. All of the tenants have become great friends of mine, and life is, as they say, good. The manager would not answer her phone. I called 6 times in the span of 2 hours before getting a response, and she feigned ignorance. She knew I was being kicked out, but couldn't tell me why.

She would not give me a reason for the eviction, stating that I have been a great tenant and that she would gladly give me a recommendation, but that the owner has decided he wants the unit for "other purposes" and that she doesn't know what's going on or why he wants it. I demanded to speak with him but he is conveniently on vacation and I have been unable to reach him by cellphone. The building manager--despite our regular contact--made no indication that this would be happening anytime soon, and has never once mentioned that my apartment might be needed for something else. In fact, in the morning I had spoken with her about the dishwasher, and she conveniently forgot to mention that I was being evicted, but managed to have a nice conversation with me about everything else going on in my life.

This is what I strongly suspect happened: the downstairs business tenant was a record store, and they relocated. The new tenant is a sandwich chain opening their first store in my city. They have been working on construction for about 4 months now, and are planning to open in another month or two. I think that the owner has decided to give my apartment to someone affiliated with this store so that they can live and watch over it--and have some nice digs.

Neither my building manager or owner has told me why I'm being kicked out and it is infuriating me. This is the worst possible time for it to happen: I have been trying to dedicate this month, August, to studying for the GRE which I have scheduled for mid-September. Now I will have to concentrate on not only moving, but finding a new place, within walking distance of work. I also happen to live in a college town, and all of the units in the city are pretty much rented up now, as August is when school starts and consequently the worst month to start an apartment hunt. Also, I have no car. After a few days of calling, I've realized that all downtown apartments are full, and I'm simply not going to get one.

Is there anything I can do here? I feel that I have been evicted for personal reasons. I'm the only tenant under 25 and though I am established, with a good job and a college degree, but I hardly fit the stereotypical mold, so to speak. On top of all that I have said, two units came available in the apartment complex just last month (an incredible rarity, as these apartments are highly valued and in a great location), and one was rented to a couple, the other to a single female. Why wasn't that used for whatever purpose mine will be used for? Why wasn't I offered a chance to switch apartments?

I realize that on a month-to-month lease, I can be kicked out for any reason at all, but this just makes no sense to me, and the timing couldn't be worse. I want to have some kind of recourse but I feel completely on my own and unprotected. Is this simply a case of "life isn't fair, move on?" or is there something I can do, legally, or not? Even if I cannot keep the apartment for another year, what can I do to make this landlords life hell? Can I stay in the unit for another month past the eviction? Can I hold the keys? Is there anything? Am I just whining? Sorry for the long post, but I'm in a bad spot right now.

I'm in Nebraska, if that matters at all for the legal aspect.

Seeking an apartment in Ottawa

sindark — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 19:02:09 -0800

A few weeks ago, I asked MeFites about the best parts of Ottawa to live in. Now that I have moved to the city, I am looking for an actual place to stay. Any inside information from Ottawa residents would be much appreciated. The kind of place I have in mind is a single or bachelor apartment in Centretown, Sandy Hill, the Byward Market, or possibly Gatineau. I prefer houses on streets to apartment blocks, but am open to either. I am willing to consider living with flatmates, if I can find some who I get along with. I cannot really spend more than $1000 a month, including heat, hydro, and high speed internet.

I am in Ottawa on a one year contract with the federal government. There is some chance I will stay beyond that, but also a reasonable chance I will leave. As such, I prefer somewhere that is furnished. Also, I would prefer a place where I can rent by the month, rather than committing to a one year lease. Places that smell like pets or tobacco smoke are dramatically less appealing; hardwood floors are appreciated. I would be much happier with a small nice place than a larger less nice one.

Here is a list of places I have gone so far, with some comments.

I ma sick of knowing my neighbours sex frequency.HELP

plumberonkarst — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 19:27:18 -0800

Resources for finding rental houses in Northern/ Eastern Or Southern Ontario.Anyone have some good sources or leads? I am looking for country type settings under a $1000 a month.My experiment with apartment life has given me a profound respect for those that enjoy it and impetuous to get the %^%& out of this noisy concrete box.My Google Fu is bringing little in results.MLS has little listed of interest.

I slept like a baby in my house,now I am woken an average of 10 times a night.Why close your apartment door when you can slam it at 3 am etc etc.Apartments are NOT for me.

But I WANT to sign the lease!

purplefiber — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:53:29 -0800

Can my new landlord leave me off the lease? I'm moving into a new apartment soon. The two people who currently live there (roommate A and B) have been in the apartment for two years. The first year they cosigned a year long lease, and since then they have been month to month.

Now roommate B is moving away and I am moving in. They checked this with the rental agency, to see if we'd have to do an application/credit check for me. The rental agency said no, that they would make roommate A the sole tenant, and I would be a subletter from her. So they don't need to check any background on me, but basically I would have no rights to the place. If roommate A decides to move, I would have to move as well, or be subject to any kind of rent increase they wish to impose.

I want to be on the lease, both for the stability of rent control in the event that roommate A decides to leave, and also for reasons of building good credit. Do I have the right to insist on getting my name on the lease? Roommate A agrees that it would be best for us both to be on it. If I am to bring this up with the rental agency, should I do it before moving in, or a few months down the road, once they see that I'm a good tenant, pay rent on time, etc? We are in California.

Any advice much appreciated.

The easiest way you can help me move!

Navelgazer — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 14:47:22 -0800

Moving to D.C. for grad school! Need help with the rental market! Okay, so I've read through all of the stuff here, but it doesn't fully help (and I imagine a lot has changed in the last 3 years.)

I'm starting Georgetown Law in late August, and am looking for a place in the city that's close to school (The Law Center is actually in the Chinatown/Capitol Hill area) and big enough so that it'll fit both myself and my girlfriend once she moves down 2nd semester. I imagine this won't be too difficult, but I'm freaking out a little bit because:

1. I've lived in NYC the last eight years, my entire adult life, really. Everything I know about getting an apartment, moving, applications, etc. is specific to New York. Also, it's not easy for me to just keep bobbing down to D.C. as the date gets closer, looking for the perfect place. However, I need a decent place, as I plan to live there for the next three years.

2. I really don't know Washington at all. In total I've spent maybe nine days there, and at no point was I able to go exploring on my own and get a feel for the place. Essentially my entire knowledge of the town comes from West Wing. Where should I be looking, and what should I be looking out for?

3. As I'll be a student while living there, my application will be a little different, I imagine. What should I expect as far as providing guaranteur letters, etc.?

Thank you, hive mind!

How can I find housing in a city I've barely visited?

moooshy — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 17:20:22 -0800

[Chicago Filter] Moving to Chicago in June. Start work 2 days later. No time to go to Chicago before the move. What's the best way to find an apt? (Everyone on CL wants to meet me first, which isn't possible.) I just found out that I have to move to Chicago for a full time job. The job starts approximately 2 days after I move there, and there's no way I can get to Chicago before June to scope the joint, so to speak.

I know nothing about Chicago, aside from what I've read online -- and I've posted/read Craigslist ads, but everyone wants to meet me first, understandably. I'd like to meet them first, too -- but I can't. This makes securing housing somewhat difficult, and I can't afford a hotel.

Ideally, I'd sublet for the summer before making an attempt to get a longterm lease in the fall -- but if I could find something longterm and decent now, I'd be a happy camper.

I have never moved across the country, nor have my parents -- so we're kind of in the dark about this. I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for such a move, and what might be the best way to proceed (My employer is small, and all of the employees live in the suburbs, so they're not going to know...)